Free 900+ Page Unit Study for Notebookers... and More!
By Heather Idoni
Added Thursday, June 18, 2009
==========================================================
The Homeschooler's Notebook
Encouragement and Advice for Homeschool Families
==========================================================
Vol. 10 No 45 June 18, 2009
ISSN: 1536-2035
==========================================================
Copyright (c) 2009 - Heather Idoni, FamilyClassroom.net
==========================================================
Welcome to the Homeschooler's Notebook!
If you like this newsletter, please recommend it to a friend!
And please visit our sponsors! They make it possible.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PLEASE VISIT OUR SPONSOR:
Dinner menu plans make life so much easier for busy moms -- and
did you know you can save up to 15 hours and $120 each month by
shopping and cooking with a well-crafted weekly menu plan?
Through June 30th, when you subscribe to the Busy Mom Menu or the
Frugal Mom Menu, you will receive 3 valuable eBooks detailed here:
http://www.menus4moms.com/amember/go.php?r=3087&i=l2
"I have tried other menu planning systems and have never found
anything else that works for us the way Menus4Moms does. We love
the recipes and love the common sense approach to using leftovers
and freezer cooking. I recommend the site to EVERYONE!" -- Dawn
Don't miss out on your free bonus eBooks -- subscribe now!
http://www.menus4moms.com/amember/go.php?r=3087&i=l2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
=================
IN THIS ISSUE:
=================
Notes from Heather
-- Notebooking and Freebies!
Helpful Tip
-- Even More Wisdom for Diana
Winning Website
-- Wolfram Alpha Computations
Reader Question
-- How to Convince My Husband?
Additional Notes
-- Newsletter Archives
-- Sponsorship Information
-- Reprint Information
-- Subscriber Information
=======================
Notes from Heather
=======================
Notebooking -- and a BIG Free Unit Study!
---
I subscribe to a Yahoo email group called 'Notebooking' --
and one of the members is sharing a unit study she has spent a
long time preparing! Members often share what they have
created -- but Patty has been working on this one since January
and it is a big one!
---
Patty writes --
"Hi everyone -- I just wanted to let you know that I have finished
my project on The Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett. I have
a full download available of the entire study. Each unit covers 10
of the stories/poems/essays that are included in The Book of Virtues.
Each story has worksheets, notebook pages, vocabulary, character
study sheets, copywork, 1-2 projects (plus a long term project) and
a lapbook with an optional unit wrap up activity. And, to top it
off, a full lesson plan for older kids and a separate one for primary
aged children.
The full project is 992 pages long!! The download is 18.93 MB, so
it's rather large. I will have individual units available -- I just
haven't linked them yet.
Please note that though each unit is roughly 100 pages. It is not
required to DO all those pages. For instance, if you do the work-
sheets, you probably shouldn't worry about the notebook pages. If
your children are young, you could skip the projects. If they are
*really* young, just do the 'wrap up' after reading each story.
Oh -- and just one small side note -- this is a free download! If
you get a moment and would like to comment on it, please stop by
my blog and let me know what you think!! :-)
Here's a link to the information on my site. This has a ton of
explanations to some of the projects and activities. I highly
recommend taking a look at the project information at the very least.
http://homeschoolblogger.com/ShiverAcademy/Book%2Bof%2BVirtues/
Here is a direct link to the download:
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?tmk4eyoiwm1
If you are on dial up, please either use the smaller links available
(the sections) or wait a day or two for me to link to the full unit
downloads."
-- Patty, Shiver Academy
---
Here is one comment Patty already received about her offering:
"WOW!!!! This is an amazing piece of work! Thank you SO MUCH for
sharing it! I was just wondering what to do for our character/virtue
studies, and abracadabra, here it is. I really am looking forward
to digging into it, and again, this is absolutely spectacular! I
feel like I hit the lottery. Thanks again for your generosity."
---
You can join the Notebooking group Patty is on by going to this link:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Notebooking/
The group is sponsored by Jeff and Kate Estes of Hands and Hearts.
They offer great kits as well as a growing selection of wonderful
homeschooling materials at http://www.handsnhearts.com
For more FREE notebooking info, tips, and templates, you can visit:
http://familyclassroom.net/notebookingpages.htm
---
Do you have comments to share? Please do!
Send your emails to: mailto:heather@familyclassroom.net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OUR SPONSOR
Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner
Whether you have homeschooled for years, or know someone who is
just considering it, whether your child is struggling or giving
up, Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner helps parents teach
children at home.
Kathy Kuhl homeschooled her struggling learner for 4th through
12th grades. After he graduated, she interviewed 64 homeschoolers
with children with different learning problems, including learning
disabilities, AD/HD, autism, and other conditions. She distills
their wisdom while conveying her own experience and insights.
402 pages packed with insights and valuable resources -- read the
reviews at Amazon.com! Only $14.95 and eligible for free shipping.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
================
Helpful Tip
================
Somehow I missed several answers to Diana's question of a few
issues back about her 7 year old son's difficulties with applying
himself. The original question and answers appeared in this issue:
http://www.familyclassroom.net/Articles20092/20090528.html
Here is one more answer we received -- this one from a reader named
Kim -- that has some good, practical wisdom for Diana... and for
many more of us, as well! :-)
---
"Diana -- If I were you, I would just go ahead and sit with him.
He WANTS you there, because he NEEDS you there. He can't explain
it; he doesn't know why.
We have this idea that all kids should sit at their desks and
complete their work. But they are not necessarily programmed
that way. I think we sometimes expect our kids to be like the
kids we've seen on TV: 'Everyone, off to your room! Do your
homework!' -- and they all parade off and do their homework. We
have this idea that once they get their assignment, our work is
done and it is up to them to finish the rest. Well, that may be
true to a certain extent, but I think we slowly work toward that
goal. I wouldn't expect it until your child reaches high school.
My daughter was like this, even into junior high! She could get
her math done in half the time, with half the frustration, if I
just was at the table with her. Our other subjects were very
interactive, all of us working together on projects or notebooks.
My kids absolutely thrived in this environment. So, it makes sense
that my daughter would not enjoy sitting by herself with a full
page of work to complete... at seven, it probably looks fairly
daunting.
As adults we think, 'Good grief! Just do the work. It isn't that
much; you're spending more time whining than it would take to finish
the page!'
But, that is not how kids' minds work. I think many kids simply
need more companionship and feel like they are 'all alone' when
left to complete work by themselves... it is too much for them.
Some kids just don't function well that way.
Your son is only seven; he is still a little boy who needs encourage-
ment, conversation, and close contact. I think if he gets what he
needs, when he needs it, he will excel.
By the way, both my kids had their weird idiosyncrasies. Often
people would tell me I was being too easy on them and that I was
going to hinder their maturity. But we slowly worked through it
and they were happy. Now they are both in college, both on the
Dean's List; neither of them had any problems whatsoever adjusting
to college life. I think that by giving them what they needed,
when they needed it, they were able to work through it and grow at
their own pace." -- Kim
---
Do you have an idea, experience, or tip to share? Please write!
Send to: mailto:HN-ideas@familyclassroom.net
==================
Winning Website
==================
This site is considered "the site with a brain".
Explore all the links on the left hand side of the site and you
will get an idea of what it is all about!
From the website:
"Wolfram Alpha's long-term goal is to make all systematic knowledge
immediately computable and accessible to everyone. We aim to
collect and curate all objective data; implement every known model,
method, and algorithm; and make it possible to compute whatever can
be computed about anything... As of now, Wolfram Alpha contains 10+
trillion of pieces of data, 50,000+ types of algorithms and models,
and linguistic capabilities for 1000+ domains."
===============================
Last Issue's Reader Question
===============================
"Hi -- I'm the mom of an almost 4 year old. I'm pretty certain
homeschooling makes sense for my son, but my husband is against it.
Do your readers have any advice for convincing a anti-homeschooling
spouse? Thanks." -- Kobie
=========================
Our Readers' Responses
=========================
"Kobie -- First, let me caution you against homeschooling without
your husband's support. Even if he eventually says he doesn't mind
if *you* homeschool your son, it will be much harder without his
attention and help. I know -- I made this mistake to begin with!
You have some time, so I would recommend several actions you can
take that will give your husband a chance to see why you think this
is a good idea for your family. Write down a list of everything
you considered, why you think homeschooling is a good idea. It
will clear your mind and if you share it with him, it may help
him understand as well. Try not to nag -- if your husband can be
stubborn, it may backfire. Be patient; you are asking him to shift
his worldview. Arrange a visit with a local public school kinder-
garten, and ask your husband to go with you. Ask if you can pop
in from time to time over the next year, as prospective parents --
then do it. The visits will be much more revealing when they are
not pre-arranged, and the staff is just doing their normal routine.
If you haven't yet, find a local homeschool support group and ask
to join them to observe or for outings; make some friends, invite
other families over to fellowship. Pick families that have children
the same age as yours, and in which both parents are active. Even
without your prompting the conversation will eventually turn to
homeschooling. If the first family you invite doesn't click, pick
another. Develop a system of support with others who have children
the same ages as yours, and the long-term benefits can be amazing.
Pray for your husband, and ask God to help him listen to you, and
to work through other people that your husband will listen to. Find
websites or books that are from the homeschooling dad's perspective,
and place those in his way -- leave a book on the nightstand,
forward him a funny email. Above all, be prepared that he may not
consent. Decide early: is this worth the battle? Can our family
function if I decide to do something my husband does not support?
For us, it took my husband seeing one child struggle through early
elementary and seeing the difference of homeschooling before he
gave his support. I think it is great you want to homeschool, and
it is a wonderful experience for both the parents and the children,
but not if one parent is kicking and screaming, or completely
non-attentive." -- Anne
---
"Kobie -- I faced the same reaction from my husband. I showed him
the statistics about how well homeschoolers scored on college
entrance when I was researching homeschooling. I even questioned
and nagged. It doesn't work, don't try it. Then I just prayed and
put it in God's hands. He handled it and changed my husband's heart.
My lesson learned was to trust Him, and to keep my mouth shut with
the nagging." -- Audra in Alabama
---
"Hi Kobie -- My husband was 'hooked' after attending a large local
homeschool conference; If you're in New England, you might like to
check out MassHOPE's annual conference in Worcester, MA. (I know
there are other conferences around the country.) Attending the
breakout sessions, seeing other families, and attending the sessions
especially geared to homeschooling dads convinced him. Now, when
I'm discouraged, he is my strongest supporter. :-)
In the meantime, try to find a homeschool support group and meet
with those families over the summer. With a 4 year old, the world
is his 'classroom' -- Enjoy it!" -- Tricia in NH
---
"Kobie -- Ask your husband to read The Christian Home School by
Gregg Harris. My husband and I read this book when we first
considered homeschooling, and Harris really helped to solidify our
desires for our children. He put into words what we suspected about
children and education. Also, since your child is so young, you
really do have time to try homeschooling. In the early grades
there is really no reason to invest a lot of money in curriculum --
you can use library books and inexpensive workbooks or just make
your own stuff.
Having been a public school teacher, I can truly say that there is
nothing magical about public school (or private school, for that
matter). No teacher knows your child better than you do, and no
one knows what your child needs better than you do. Our society
has indoctrinated parents into believing that educators are trained
to know what is the best way to teach our children and exactly what
they need to know to be successful adults. That's just not true!
After I completed my master's degree in education and passed my
teacher certification test, I really was no better prepared to
teach anyone's child than a grocery store clerk would have been.
Parents gain a great deal of knowledge throughout their lives, and
God imparts wisdom to those who ask for it. God gives parents -–
not the local school system -- the responsibility to teach their
children. And He always equips us for every calling He gives us.
RELAX!" -- Tina J.
---
"First, I would suggest that you pray that God would open up the
eyes of your (both of you) understanding and that you would be in
unity.
Second, I think you need to do your homework. Figure out the real
reasons you want to homeschool. This will be good for you, and it
will help you to explain your position to your husband.
Third, ask him what it is that he has a problem with. Let him
express himself and listen to his concerns. He may have concerns
you might not have thought about." -- Nicole
---
"Kobie, I believe you must start with prayer, and request prayer
support from others. Do you have opportunities to be around
homeschool families? Perhaps your husband would be more open to
homeschooling if he could observe the difference in the children.
Would he be willing to attend a homeschool conference or other
event? Does he read or listen to recorded messages? There is
an abundance of resources with information which would make sense
to men. I recommend The Children of Caesar and other materials
from Voddie Baucham. Ask him what his objections are, and
respectfully address them. For example, if he is concerned about
the cost, assure him that it doesn't have to cost very much; then
go about showing him just how frugal you can be." -- Mary Beth
---
"We decided by having our children attend kindergarten. One went
on to first grade, but it was apparent to me that school was not
working for him halfway through that year and, with more experience,
it was apparent halfway through kindergarten that it was not working
for our second child. After the children left school, we deschooled
for awhile, then picked up homeschooling. That was 7 years ago for
the older child and 5 years ago for the younger. Both are doing
well in homeschool." -- Anne
---
"Kobie -- If it was my husband, he would want to know facts and
figures -- statistics of success rates, solid facts of why homeschool
is better than public/private school, etc. My husband does not want
to read through a bunch of information; he wants a summary from me!
So, make sure you have done a lot of research, know your subject,
and give him a synopsis.
But Kobie, I really have to tell you that if your husband is not
at least somewhat supportive, or at least agreeable to your decision,
I would say that you should not homeschool your child. Homeschooling
is one of the most rewarding yet most challenging things I have ever
done. Even on the good days, you really need your husband to support
you and stand behind you as you teach your child. As in every other
major decision you make in your marriage, you have to be united in
order for things to be successful. You wouldn't consider buying a
house or a car that your husband did not want to buy, would you? In
order to succeed, you really both need to be involved -- not in the
day-to-day teaching, but in the commitment to teaching your child."
-- Mindy
---
"Kobie -- You say you're 'pretty certain', but if you were 100% sold
out passionate about it, your husband may find that contagious. If
your husband is against it, it isn't going to work. You should submit
to your husband, pray about it, and watch how God works it out."
-- Janel
=========================
Answer our NEW Question
=========================
"I would like to know if anyone has used Thinkwell's programs. We
are looking at American Government and would like some input. I
am also looking at Thinkwell's Chemistry to enhance Apologia with
lectures. Also -- has anyone used or seen Christian Light Education's
'Small Gas Engine Repair'. Any info would be great." -- Terri
---
Do you have some observations or input for Terri?
Please send your answer to: mailto:HN-answers@familyclassroom.net
=====================
Ask YOUR Question
=====================
Do you have a question you would like our readers to answer?
Send it to mailto:HN-questions@familyclassroom.net and we'll see
if we can help you out in a future issue!
=======================
Need Immediate Help?
=======================
Visit our Homeschool Encouragement Center! This is a live 24/7
'chat' area where you can talk live to our homeschool counselors
by typing in a box. When you get there, just introduce yourself
and let them know that Heather sent you!
This ultra-safe chat is supervised by experienced moms who are
there to serve and share their wisdom... or just offer a listening
ear and encouragement.
==============================
Subscription Information
==============================
Here is the page where you can subscribe to all of our newsletters!
http://familyclassroom.net/screensubs.html
And here is our searchable archive of recent newsletters:
http://www.familyclassroom.net/archives/
===========================
SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION
===========================
There are opportunities for your business to be a sponsor of this
newsletter! Read more about our VERY AFFORDABLE advertising here:
http://www.homeschooladnetwork.com/homeschoolersnotebook.php
=====================
ADDITIONAL NOTES
=====================
All contributed articles are printed with the author's prior
consent. It is assumed that any questions, tips or replies to
questions may be reprinted. All letters become the property of
the "Homeschooler's Notebook". [Occasionally your contribution
may have to be edited for space.]
Again, I welcome you to the group! Feel free to send any
contributions to mailto:HN-articles@familyclassroom.net or
mailto:HN-ideas@familyclassroom.net.
Our main website is:
http://www.familyclassroom.net
We also sponsor an incredible site with over 1,500 pages of helps!
http://www.easyfunschool.com
===========================
REPRINT INFORMATION
===========================
No part of this newsletter (except subscription information
below) may be copied and/or displayed in digital format online
(for instance, on a website or blog) without EXPRESS permission
from the editor. Individuals may, however, forward the newsletter
IN ITS ENTIRETY to *individual* friends (not email groups). For
reprints in paper publications (homeschool support group newsletters,
etc.) please direct your request to: mailto:Heather@FamilyClassroom.net
